Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
20 3 ?57~~
IMPROVED PAPER COATING COMPOSITION
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
OF THE INVENTION
This invention re lates to productionof protein containing paper
coating
compositions and
particularly to
production of paper
coating compositions
which find
a special utility coated papers re extremely high gloss, smoothness,
in cast whe
flexibility, resistance ck resistance are required.
to drum adhesion Applicant is
and pi
aware of the following.S. Patents,
U the disclosures
of which relate
to paper coating
compositions and rior art.
form part of the
relevant p
2,274,983 March 1943 Ilieronymus
2,246,466 June 1941 Julian et al.
2,849,334 August 1958 Hart
2,881,076 April 1959 Sair
2,950,214 August 1960 Smith
3,081,182 March 1963 Mahoney
3,41 1,925 November 1968 Lauterbach
4,048,380 September 1977 Blakey et al.
4,109,056 August 1978 Craig et al.
4,277,524 July 1981 Nakajima et al.
4,352,692 October 1982 Krinski et al.
4,421,564 December 1983 Graham et al.
4,474,694 October 1984 Coco et al.
4,520,048 May 1985 Ranger
4,575,477 March 1986 Werkema et al.
4,581,257 April 1986 Kondo et al.
4,607,089 August 1986 Riley et al.
4,620,992 November 1986 Nojima et al.
4,812,550 March 1989 Erickson et al.
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In addition, information relating to cast coating techniques may be
found at:
"Soy Protein Latex Interpolymers -- Properties and Function,"
ProceeQinas of the 1987 Coating Conference TAPPI, pp 133 -'139, Coco,
C.E.
"Ultrahigh Finish Coated Papers -- Cast Coating and Other
Processes," Pigmented Coating Processes For Pauer and Board TAPPI
Monograph No. 28, pp 74 - 85, Casey, J.P.
"Isolated Soy Protein Binders for Paper and Paperboard
Coatings," Protein Binders In Paper and Paperboard Coatincr TAPPI
Monograph No., pp. 75-96, Olson, R.A. and Hoelderle, P.T.; and
"Pigment Coating," Pulp and Paper Chemistry and Chemical
Technoloctv, pp 1551 - 1753, 1961, Casey, J. P.
Basic coating techniques for cast coated paper are well known
and the use of protein adhesive binders for coating formulations for
these papers is well known in the art. The use of vegetable protein
adhesive binders, such as modified soy protein, is also known.
However, the adhesive of choice for these products is typically a
casein/latex combination, due to the greater whiteness, smoothness,
gloss uniformity and pick release which can be obtained with
casein/latex formulations.
The soy protein adhesive binders, where used in paper coating,
are typically those prepared from isolated soy protein extracted from
oil free soybean flakes in an alkaline solution and then recovered by
isoelectric precipitation. Recovered soy protein is typically
modified by hydrolysis and other chemical treatment to prepare a
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2017574
protein adhesive material suitable for use as a binder ~n paper
coating compositions. Binders of this type find many uses in the
paper coating industry. Recently however, a modified adhesive
binder, such as disclosed in U. S. Patents 4,607,089; 4,620,992 and
4,812,b50 has also been used for some paper coating applications.
However, in spite of the general acceptance of soy protein
based materials as adhesive binders, the soy protein binders have
suffered some disadvantages, particularly when compared with
casein/synthetic resin combinations, in preparing adhesive binders
for cast coating. For the most part, paper coatings compositions
used for cast coated fancy paper have not used soy binders. There,
the state of the art binder is a combination of casein and a
synthetic adhesive such as latex. These casein/synthetic
formulations have provided the most optimum combination of
smoothness, gloss and runability.
Applicant has found, however, that by use of particular
combinations of coating components, applicant can produce a soy
protein based coating composition which produces an extremely
flexible, smooth and glossy coated paper. The coated paper has
exceptional pick resistance and drum release, superior to the best
casein/latex formulations. Applicant's invention requires the use of
a soy/synthetic graft polymer as an adhesive binder and preferably
includes control of the binder in combination with the other coating
components.
Accordingly, applicant's invention seeks to prepare a
coating composition and process suitable for coating of cast coated
papers having an extremely high gloss, smoothness, flexibility, pick
resistance and drum release.
Further, applicant's invention seeks to prepare an adhesive
binder from soy protein using a soy/synthetic copolymer which has the
ability to produce coated papers which have extreme smoothness,
flexibility, gloss, pick resistance and drum release.
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A
201757
Still further, applicant's invention seeks to produce an adhesive binder and
process which can run on conventional cast coating processes and provide a
high pick
resistance in the coated paper.
Further still, applicant's invention seeks to prepare a coating composition
using
a~ protein copolymer adhesive which combines with particular pigments to
produce a
smooth, high gloss, flexible and pick resistant paper.
The invention in one aspect provides a cast coated paper and includes a
process for producing a cast coated paper having resistance to drum adhesion
and to
pick, comprising cast coating a paper web substrate with an aqueous solution
of an
adhesive binder comprising soy protein synthetic graft copolymer, and
appropriate
paper coating pigments and curing the coated paper web substrate to form a
finished
paper.
These and other aspects of the invention will be understood from the following
description of the preferred embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention utilizes soy protein copolymer adhesive binders in
combination with particular coating pigments. Preferably, the invention
utilizes a graft
soy copolymer, prepared as described in U.S. Patents 4,607,089 and 4,812,550.
This adhesive binder, preferably used in combination with particular pigment
combinations, has been found effective to achieve the objects of the present
invention.
Cast coated paper having smoothness and gloss comparable to any such paper
known in the art, and improved flexibility can be produced by use of
applicant's
invention. In particular, applicant's invention can produce paper having
properties
equal to or superior to paper produced using casein/latex adhesives. Moreover,
even
casein/latex based coating compositions suffer from drum adhesion and from
pick.
Pick is the loss of the adhesion of the coating composition to the paper
substrate
during printing.
Drum adhesion occurs on the casting drum. In drum adhesion, the coating
loses adhesion to the paper substrate, in local areas, and adheres to the
casting drum
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207574
as small particles. As the casting drum revolves, these particles accumulate
additional
coating material and leave voids in the paper surface. The voids result in a
coated
paper which is rough, porous and has low gloss. Drum adhesion is particularly
associated with high latex content in the coating formulation.
The latex component is essential in conventional formulations, since the latex
is needed to impart flexibility to the coated paper produced by the casting
process.
However, with conventional formulations it has not been practical to use
coating
formulations in which the latex component is above 60% of the total binder, if
that
much. At this high level of latex, too much latex contacts the hot surface of
the
casting drum. Since the latex is thermoplastic in nature, it melts and adheres
to the
casting drum resulting in drum adhesion, as described above. This feature,
drum
adhesion, of conventional coating formulations, severely limits the amount of
latex
which can be used in the coating formulation and limits the flexibility,
smoothness and
gloss which can be imparted by latex addition.
Applicant has found that by using a soy/synthetic copolymer the latex
component of the binder, as part of the copolymer, can be increased to as much
as
80% of the binder. As a result, the coating composition formed from the binder
has
extraordinary resistance to drum adhesion and has exceptional gloss,
flexibility,
smoothness and pick resistance.
Pick resistance is believed to result from the segregation or separation of
the
adhesive and other components in the coating formulation during the coating
and
drying process itself. To counteract this effect, various dispersants and
additives are
typically added to coating formulations to keep the coating components
uniformly
dispersed in the coating composition during coating and drying of the paper
web.
These techniques have been effective to make casein/latex combination binders
the
best known in the art to date.
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CA 02017574 2000-04-03
Applicant has found that by using a soy copolymer, of the type
described in the patents noted above, preferably in combination
with particular pigments, coating formulations can be produced
which overcome the limitations of casein/latex based coating
formulations. Applicant is able to produce cast coated paper
having high gloss, high flexibility, high color (whiteness), high
smoothness and can substantially eliminate coating pick, as
determined by standard tests.
Applicant has found that the use of a protein/synthetic
copolymer unexpectedly increases the synthetic (latex) component
which can be incorporated in the binder (and coating composition
formulation). In the copolymer binder it is believed that the
synthetic or latex moiety is surrounded or protected by the protein
shell. As a result, the synthetic moiety is held out of contact
with the casting drum. To a substantial degree only the protein
moiety contacts the casting drum. Consequently the synthetic
moiety does not overheat, melt or adhere to the surface of the
casting drum. The copolymer may contain as much as 80% synthetic
moieties; the 20% soy moiety is still sufficient to protect the
synthetic elements from the casting drum surface. However, the 80%
synthetic moieties provides flexibility enhancement, smoothness,
gloss and resistance to pick equivalent to 80% free latex.
In a preferred embodiment the copolymer is a graft copolymer
of a conjugated diene and a vinyl aryl monomer polymerized on a soy
protein shell. In a particularly preferred embodiment the
copolymer is a butadiene-styrene copolymer. A further particular
aspect of the invention provides a copolymer wherein a butadiene-
styrene moiety of the copolymer is up to about 80% by weight of the
copolymer.
Applicant's coating composition preferably uses clay and
calcium carbonate pigments in combination with the soy copolymer
binder, though other conventional pigments may be used.
Applicant's coating process produces a flexible, high gloss, smooth
coated paper having superior aesthetic and optical qualities
required for fancy papers of the type described. In particular,
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CA 02017574 2000-04-03
applicant's coating composition produces a coated paper having
substantially no drum adhesion and no pick. The clay and calcium
carbonate, which have been found effective to combine with
copolymer binders, may each be present at levels between about 10%
to 90% by weight of the total pigment present in the coating
composition of the invention. The copolymer binder may be present
at between about 10% to 25% by weight of the pigment.
The invention may be further understood by reference to the
following examples.
$XAMPLB 1
A cast coating composition was prepared from the following
formulation:
90 parts by weight clay
10 parts by weight calcium carbonate
0.2 parts by weight dispersant
0.1 parts by weight defoamer
15 parts by weight soy synthetic interpolymer,
U.S. Patent 4,607,089 (RP 535) [82% synthetic moiety]
0.5 parts by weight release agent
The above coating composition was suspended in room
temperature water (58% solids), the pH was adjusted to 9.4 and the
aqueous composition was coated utilizing a cast coating process.
The coat weight was 20 pounds per ream. The web speed was about
250 feet per minute. After coating, the coated paper from the
process was subjected to tests of its gloss, color, smoothness and
pick resistance. The results of those tests are given in Table 1.
The coated paper was examined and judged to have high flexibility.
_ 7 _
EXAMPLE 2
For comparison, a casein/latex cast coating composition was
prepared from the following formulation:
~0 parts by weight clay
10 parts by weight calcium carbonate
0.2 parts by weight dispersant
0.1 parts by weight defoamer
parts by weight casein
6 parts by weight latex
10 0.5 parts by weight release agent
The above coating composition was suspended in room temperature water
(58% solids), the pH was adjusted to 9.4 and the aqueous composition
was coated utilizing a cast coating process. The coat weight was 20
pounds per ream. The web speed was approximately 250 feet per
minute. After coating, the coated paper from the process was then
subjected to tests of its gloss, color, smoothness and pick
resistance. The results of those tests are given in Table 1. The
coated paper was examined and judged to have high flexibility.
EXAMPLE 3
ZO A cast coating composition was prepared from the following
formulation:
10 parts by weight clay
90 parts by weight calcium carbonate
0.2 parts by weight dispersant
0.1 parts by weight defoamer
15 parts by weight soy synthetic interpolymer,
U.S. Patent 4,607,089 (RP 535)[82% synthetic moiety]
0.5 parts by weight release agent
_ g _
The above coating composition was suspended in room temperature water
(58% solids), the pH was adjusted to 9.4 and the aqueous_composition
was coated utilizing a cast coating process. The coat weight was 20
..
pounds per ream. The web speed was about 250 feet per minute. After
coating, the coated paper from the process was then subjected to
tests of its gloss, color, smoothness and pick resistance. The
results of those tests are given in Table 1. The coated paper was
examined and judged to have high flexibility.
EXAMPLE 4
For comparison, a casein/latex cast coating composition was
prepared from the following formulation:
10 parts by weight clay
90 parts by weight calcium carbonate
0.2 parts by weight dispersant
0.1 parts by weight defoamer
l0 parts by weight casein
0.5 parts2 by weight release agent
The above coating composition was suspended in room temperature water
(58% solids), the pH was adjusted to 9.4 and the aqueous composition
was coated utilizing a cast coating process. The coat weight was 20
pounds per ream. The web speed was about 250 feet per minute. After
coating, the coated paper from the process was then subjected to
tests of its gloss, color, smoothness and pick resistance. The
results of those tests are given in Table 1. The coated paper was
examined and judged to have high flexibility.
_ g _
~1'~~'~~
TABLE 1
Example Exams Example -Example
1 2 3 4
20o Gloss 60 45 43 36
75o Gloss 92 85 85 83
Hunter Color L 91.5 91 95 95
(Whitness) '
Hunter Color a 0.6 0.6 0.15 0.15
(red/green)
Hunter Color b 3.7 3.7 2.8 3.0
(blue/yellow)
Parker Smoothness 0.80 0.93 0.80 0.93
(S-5)
Parker Smoothness 0.67 0.73 0.67 0.73
(S-10)
K & N (% loss) 31 37 10 16
Ink Gloss 95 94 88 86
IGT pick none 175 none 135
(cm/sec)
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:01"~~~~
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various
changes may be made in the invention as disclosed without departing
from the spirit of the invention. The invention is not to be limited
to the specifics of the disclosed embodiments, which are fcr purposes
of illustration, but rather is to be limited only by the &cope of the
appended claims and their equivalents.
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